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Bokala Grant Masters, Grant Finders, Grant (anything) Unauthorized deductions from my bank account. Asheville, North Carolina *EDitor's Suggestions on how to get your money back into your bank account that someone wrongfully takes it from you!
Three years ago I answered an ad for free information about grants. Of course the company required a charge of $1.98 for postage on the materials. When I Received the info I decided not to hire the company's services. Unbeknownst to me, once they had my debit card number (from paying the postage fee) they began charging me $38.00 every month.
I didn't pick up on it at first but when I did they had already charged my checking account 6 months of fees. I immediately tried to contact them to have it stopped.
In my quest for fairness, I encountered literally hundreds of other people who had been scammed by the same company. When I reached them by phone they actually wanted me to repeat my debit card number. I told them to look up my name in their records. They did and said they would "cancel" my order - which I'd never agreed to in the first place.
After a few months of no charges to my account, I figured it was safe to stop looking for the charge on my statements. Lo and behold, 2 years after they stopped taking the money they started again! I noticed it last month and checked the rest of 2009. Sure enough there were deductions under many different names but all with the same area code and all about the same amount of money.
I called them last month and they said they would "cancel" my order. My new statement came in the mail today and there it was a charge $38.65 from Grant Finders.
What I'd like to know is this: If there are so many complaints against this company how can we the complainants band together and get an investigation going? There are people out there who are using our advanced technology against us and are robbing us blind. Surely, the Ralph Naders of this world could take this on!!!!
<b><font size=+2><font color="#0000FF">EDitor's Suggestions on how to get your money back! </font></font></b>
<b><font size=+1>HERE IS WHAT RIP-OFF REPORT SUGGESTS YOU DO: </font></b>
Go to your bank within 60 days of the charge, or as soon as you know about the charge, don't delay, and tell them that there has been fraudulent activity within your account. Explain that you wish to file a dispute, and demand that they assist you in accordance with Federal Regulation E.
According to the majority of victims interviewed by Rip-off Report, those who immediately called their banks to dispute the charges did not get very far. Many victims got the following responses from their banks: we could not do anything for you or you waited too long; it has been more than 60 days.
If the bank is says that you have waited too long, explain to them how you called their 800 number as soon as the charges were found, and were told by the bank that nothing could be done. Remind the bank that they failed to assist you properly at the 800 #, and instead, provided you with an inadequate explanation of your right to dispute. Tell the bank that it's their fault time has expired, and since they gave you the wrong info to begin with, they will just have to deal with it, take the loss and reverse the charges.
Tell them the truth; this was unauthorized and your account was NOT to be charged! Keep emphasizing how you never authorized anything! Direct them to the hundreds of victims reports that were filed on Rip-off Report.com. And if you're at the bank, walk them over to their computer and make them go to this site! If you are on the phone with them, tell them you will wait while they access this site! Either way, be persistent!
<b><font size=+1>DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER! </font></b>
Let them know nicely, that you were advised to Report them (the Bank) and this situation to the Banking Commission in your state. Since each state has a different name for the agency/controller over banks, find that name before you call or get to the bank so you can throw it in their face. The more knowledgeable you appear to be, the further you will get.
And just continue to demand the Federal Regulation E form! The bank CAN, MUST and WILL reverse the charge! But, you must be persistent; ask to speak to the supervisor or the area manager for all the branches in the state.
Let the bank personnel know you are meeting with the media later in the day, that you would much rather they do the right thing (as most other banks have) by looking at the complaints and immediately reversing the charge(s) to your account; no matter how long ago it was. Be sure to call the Media if necessary so you are telling the truth.
If you have to, be loud (but nice) in front of other customers. If you are just calling by phone, the above tactics should still work. The bank can easily fax or mail to you the Federal Regulation E dispute form.
<b><font size=+1>CHARGES TO YOUR CREDIT CARD</font></b>
If the charge was to your credit card (not debit card, check card, or checking account), contact the credit card company as soon as possible to request a dispute form. Consumers usually have a little longer to dispute fraudulent credit card charges (up to 6 months), but it is better to act right away. In this type of situation, credit card disputes are usually successful since fraudulent companies often won't contest the disputed charge. In rare cases, credit card companies will review disputes, but refuse to reverse the charges. If this occurs, complain to a manager and let them know you will be filing a report here.
Remember Don't let them get away with it! Make sure they make the Rip-off Report .. <i>The more Reports filed on a Company or individual, the more likely it is that the authorities, media and attorneys will want to take action. </i>
And good luck Let us know how you do!
ED Magedson Founder
RipoffReport.com
Author of www.ripoffrevenge.com
Rip-off Report
1 Updates & Rebuttals
ReactorCore
Victoria,British Columbia,
Canada
Tilting at Windmills
#2
Tue, August 18, 2009
That's exactly what you're doing.
Although you're very quick to scream "scam!", part of the responsibility for the mess you're in lies solely with you. Why? Because you failed to do your research when you first went to the site.
If you had bothered to scroll down that very first page, you would have seen a link labeled "TERMS". I'm sure in your haste to get that sweet, sweet government cash, you glossed right over it, because if you had bothered to click that link, you would have seen something like this:
9. Grant Help Center 7 Day Free Trial
A. User agrees to be charged by Grant Funding Express after 7 days of ordering the FREE CD in the amount of $49.95 for access to the Grant Help Center. The first day of the trial is the date of order. No refunds will be given for failure to use the requested and/or provided services.
B. The user will continue to be billed for $49.95 each month there after unless the user contacts Grant Funding Express using our Contact Form or calls us at 1-888-662-8762. (see 10E)
C. If the user cancels their 7 day FREE trial to the Grant Help Center before the 7 trial days are up, the user will not be billed $49.95 or any charges thereafter.
E. To cancel the 7 Day FREE trial the user will need to contact us before midnight of the 7th day or they cancel cancel by visiting www.GrantHelpOrder.com
G. We reserve the right to make changes to pricing at anytime. Please revisit these term and conditions regularly.
10. Grant Mentoring Center 14 Day Free Trial
A. User agrees to be charged by Grant Mentoring Center after 14 days of ordering the FREE CD in the amount of $29.95 for access to the Grant Help Center. The first day of the trial is the date of order. No refunds will be given for failure to use the requested and/or provided services.
B. The user will continue to be billed for $29.95 each month there after unless the user contacts Grant Funding Express using our Contact Form or calls us at 1-866-960-0858.
C. If the user cancels their 14 day FREE trial to the Grant Mentoring Center before the 14 trial days are up, the user will not be billed $29.95 or any charges thereafter.
E. To cancel the 14 Day FREE trial the user will need to contact us before midnight of the 14th day or they cancel cancel by visiting www.GrantHelpOrder.com
G. We reserve the right to make changes to pricing at anytime. Please revisit these term and conditions regularly.
Although the above is from a slightly different variation of the site at a different location, you'll find that the language of the above agreement is essentially the same in both cases.
The end result, is that it cuts your call to arms, at least in the way you envision it, off at the knees, as, first, the terms and conditions of the sale of the overall product are stated right on the site, only a single mouse click away.
Second, in the full language of the terms, you agreed to have your account/card debited in the manner described the moment you said "yes" to getting that oh, so cheap CD. Plus, if you read the above closely, you'll see that you've agreed to not one, but two completely different services; the "Grant Help Service" and the "Grant Mentoring Service", one costing 49.95 the other being 29.95 for a total of 79.90! Every month!
Is it shady? Yes. Is the practice questionable? Yes. However, it's not a "rip off" as such. The only real way you're going to get people to stop eating a bowl of stupid and blindly ordering these "something for nothing" offers is to get action on the code of practices these sites are allowed to use to conduct business and the manner in which they're allowed to present their terms and conditions to the public, who act more and more like a bunch of lemmings anytime someone dangles the specter of the mere possibility of free government cheese under their collective noses.
You can just bet that these outfits have had their legal buzzards go over the ins and outs of the legality of not only the language, but how it's presented in order to make it as watertight as possible. Don't you think that they predicted that this kind of backlash would occur? Sure they did, and they fireproofed themselves.
On a side note, it never fails to amaze me how it's the people who can generally least afford it that fall for this crap. Again, I have to point out... Only $1.95 for a CD? And all the logistics and manpower that have to go with that to get it to you? Wow! I too want to embark on a business venture that will be broke in under a day! I mean, come on... think about it. "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE"